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WWE SmackDown Live comes waltzing back into our lives tonight (Jan. 8, 2019) from the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida, featuring all the latest build to the upcoming Royal Rumble pay-per-view (PPV) scheduled for later this month in Phoenix.
Advertised for tonight: A triple threat to determine Asuka’s next title challenger, The Usos challenge The Bar for the right to challenge The Bar, and more!
Come right back here at 8 p.m. ET when the SmackDown live blog kicks off once the show starts on USA. It will be below this line here. (REMINDER: NO GIFS OR PICS ARE ALLOWED IN THE COMMENTS SECTION. OFFENDERS WILL BE BANNED.)
WWE SMACKDOWN RESULTS AND LIVE BLOG FOR JAN. 8
Don’t give me politics, don’t give me public schools, just keep the cops and TV police from breaking all the rules. I am the raging bull, no fear, no sympathy; sex and drugs and rock and roll, that’s my cup of tea. Feel the heat, throw your bodies into the fire. Time to feed headhunter, and time to liveblog this here pro wrestling show.
The show opens with commentary hyping up our #1 contender’s match for the SmackDown Women’s Championship.
We head to the concessions area where Daniel Bryan is angry and talking about how AJ Styles would be here if he was just a fan and he wants to take us on an educational journey. The only concessions we’re making, he says, are to our health and well-being. Are we healthy? Are we happy? How do we feel after we eat this garbage? (Pretty good, Dan, I’m turning that kinda garbage into some pretty sweet fat tissue at a slow but steady pace right now.)
We’re filling a void and throwing garbage down our throats, and that’s why we cheer for AJ, too. He snatches a hot dog away from some fans and says Styles is just like the hot dog, and they leave empty and move on to something else. He punctuates his point by throwing the hot dog at the fan he took it from. A drink is his next target, saying the plastic is choking the earth before throwing it, too, at the fan he took it from.
Merchandise is up next, and he asks for a Yes! Movement t-shirt before mock-remembering that the Yes! Movement is dead, he killed it, and one of the reasons why is he didn’t want to fill the earth with toxic garbage like AJ’s t-shirts and gloves. He continues railing against Styles as he exists the concourse to be high up in the stands before saying he’s out here changing the world.
He says each one of these people is weak, submissive, impotent and AJ can only fill the void for about thirty seconds, but he’ll tear that void apart and fill it with something meaningful, something valuable, he’ll make the world better. We booo him, but he’s changing the world for the better while we change it for the--
R-TRUTH OUTTA NOWHERE WITH THE CORKSCREW FOREARM! HE’S BEATING THE HOLY HELL OUT OF THE WWE CHAMPION! Referee Mike Chioda separates them and we’re informed we’ll have a match after the break.
Daniel Bryan vs. R-Truth
Back from commercial, match is in progress and Truth is in control, backing Bryan into the corner with right hands. Backflip up and over, off the ropes, splits evasion, a dropkick gets Ron two! Passing Truth into the corner, chest kicks, snapmare, kick to the back, disdainful slaps, telling him he’s the problem. R fighting back, right hands but Dan decks him and throws him into the corner.
More chest kicks feed into the running corner dropkicks, but Truth counters the third with a corkscrew elbow! Suplex Stunner... NOPE! Back suplex, Bryan lands on his feet, sidestep the Stinger splash...
Daniel Bryan wins by pinfall with the Busaiku Knee.
Bryan makes it to the stage and AJ Styles ambushes him! Mounted headbutts, wailing away as security swarms him, he gets away and pounces Dan into the LED boards! Chair in hand, but Bryan runs off and AJ whips it into the barricade in frustration.
Rey Mysterio makes his entrance for a tag team match and we go to break.
Andrade “Cien” Almas & Samoa Joe vs. Mustafa Ali & Rey Mysterio
Ali and Joe to start, collar and elbow, Samoa backs him into the ropes and breaks dirty with a shove! Back to the lockup, again into the ropes, scraping his forearm against Mustafa’s throat as referee Jason Ayers warns him off. Legsweep from Ali, a forearm, off the ropes and Joe bowls him over! Samoa pressing the attack, whip across, roll away, dropkicks from Mustafa right on the button and a tag to Mysterio!
Stereo dropkicks, Joe rolls away and tags out. Almas in with a front kick, arm wringer to a hammerlock, Rey with back elbows, slingshot bulldog to escape, off the ropes, front kick, Cien catches him in La Atlantida but Mysterio escapes with a tilt-a-whirl headscissors! Across, up and over, off the ropes, back elbow from Andrade... NOPE! Wristlock, tag to Joe, smashing Rey’s face into the turnbuckle.
Corner jabs, overhead elbow, tag back to Almas. Shove off, Rey hits a rolling Face Eraser! Tag to Ali, off the ropes, snap off a headscissors takeover, smash in the corner, chop, whip reversed, slide to stop, to the apron, gamengiri, rolling thunder X-Factor... ONLY ONE! Waistlock, drawing Cien up, eat that back elbow, sidestep a boot, pop-up dropkick and a tag from Joe.
Dropkick Almas into Samoa, tornado DDT on Andrade but he’s not legal! Plancha... JOE CATCHES HIM AND FALLAWAY SLAMS HIM OVER THE ANNOUNCE TABLE TO SEND US TO BREAK!
Back from commercial, Ali hits a spider belly-to-belly superplex out of the Tree of Woe! Sitting up, trying to dislodge his leg and he finally does! Crawling, reaching, tag made! Mysterio in hot, springboard headscissors, whip reversed, duck under the leg lariat, roll through the sunset flip, buzzsaw roundhouse and Joe gets invovled! Rey ducks and dodges, gamengiri into the seated senton to run him off!
REY JUST DID A REVERSE MONKEY FLIP INTO A GODDAMNED FLIP PILEDRIVER WHAT IN THE WORLD?! 619! Ali hits 054 on Joe and shoves Almas over for Rey to set him up! Tope con giro on Joe, Rey goes for the 619 but gets caught and Cien turns it into a gutbuster! Hammerlock applied...
Andrade “Cien” Almas & Samoa Joe win by pinfall with the hammerlock DDT from Almas on Rey Mysterio.
Commentary hypes up our #1 contender’s match for the women’s title again.
Carmella gets a promo backstage where she talks about how nobody thinks she’s gonna win, and why, because she looks good and likes to have fun? Or is it because Charlotte Flair has learned to use a kendo stick and Becky Lynch grew a personality? She became champion by getting an opportunity, and that’s all she ever needed, and tonight she’s got one more opportunity to get at it, because Mella is money.
The Usos are walking and talking about how they’ve got an opportunity tonight themselves and they welcome the Bar to the Uso Penitentiary to send us to break.
Back from commercial, Miz barges in on Shane McMahon, complaining about the Usos getting a shot at a tag title shot before they did as the Best Tag Team in the World.
Shane says they’re far away from the title picture and the A-Lister tries to sell him on taking the shortcut. McMahon says he’s excited about teaming, he really is, but he wants to put the work in, challenge themselves and their competition. Miz agrees after a beat before asking if he’s thought about outfits, saying he’s enjoying the white leather, at which point Shane begs off and feigns taking a call.
Rusev is in the ring and gets on the mic.
He says last week Lana, his wife, his love, his heart got hurt because of Shinsuke Nakamura’s selfish actions. She’s at home resting, but he stands before us. Not as United States Champion, not as the Bulgarian Brute with the body of a thousand Hemsworth brothers, no, he stands before us as a husband. A “Lana is the best, Lana #1!” chant goes up before he continues.
He says Shinsuke can mess with him all he wants, but once you mess with his wife you cross a line, and you can’t come back from that. So he calls Nakamura out and promises to break every bone in his fragile body and crush him!
Shinsuke appears in the production truck, saying Rusev is just trying to get sympathy. He’s here in the truck to prove to everyone that it’s not his fault, and he asks the tech to roll the tape. Footage of the attack from last week plays, repeatedly showing the Machka Kick that knocked Shinsuke over while Lana was on his back. Nakamura tells Rusev that he crushed Lana, a smirk on his face.
The Bulgarian Lion says if he won’t come to him, he’ll come to Shinsuke!
He’s met halfway by Nakamura ramming a road case at him, sandwiching him against some gear! Referees and road agents (Jamie Noble and five-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion Adam Pearce) separate them and check on Rusev... AND SHINSUKE COMES BACK FOR KINSHASA FOR GOOD MEASURE!
Becky Lynch cuts a promo complaining she has to win a match to get a shot at the title she never lost, but that’s okay because tonight she can do whatever she wants, and at Royal Rumble Asuka will have to do more than climb a ladder, and she knows she’s on borrowed time until The Man comes around.
The Bar make their entrance and we go to break ahead of their match.
Back from commercial, we get a recap of the segment from last night where noted racist Hulk Hogan eulogized “Mean” Gene Okerlund, which also includes the excellent memorial video package, but not the bit where the Hulkster suggested that Gene was hooking up with Fabulous Moolah and Mae Young in heaven.
The Bar (Cesaro & Sheamus) vs. the Usos (Jimmy & Jey Uso)
Sheamus and Jey to start, Celtic Warrior with a side headlock takeover, Uso fires back with an arm wringer, to a wristlock, shot off, kick to the leg, clothesline to the floor, tags made. Jimmy and Cesaro circling, collar and elbow, the Swiss national with a side headlock, taking him down to one knee. Shot off, shoulder block, drop down, leapfrog caught, slip out, headscissors takeover connects and Uso's fired up!
The Celtic Warrior saves Cesaro from the tribute to Rikishi, Jey heads out after, back in, block a kick, big slicing right and ram into the corner for a tag to Jey. Forearm, arm wringer, Cesaro cuts him off with a knee and tags Sheamus in. Putting boots to him, uppercuts, trading shots, slide low to block a whip and Jey fires heavy hands until he gets caught in a headlock.
Shot off, drop down, HUGE lariat from Uso gets two! Cesaro hangs Jey's arm over the ropes while the referee is busy and we go to break!
Back from commercial, Sheamus is in control with a reverse chinlock, but Uso fights out with body blows. Charging over, tag denied, Celtic Warrior with a Finlay Roll and a tag. Cesaro comes in with a diving elbow drop... NOPE! Tag back to Sheamus, right hands, top wristlock applied but Jey slings him off and to the apron! Beats of the Bodhran ensue, Jey fires an enzuigiri back and the way is clear!
Sheamus picks the leg, Jey kicks him off, tags made all around! Jimmy in hot, superkick, slap, 540 roundhouse kick, Samoan drop! Squared up, tribute to Rikishi... NOPE! Dives ensue, sending Cesaro into the crowd and leaving Sheamus sprawled on the floor! Back in, up top, Jimmy with a diving splash... STILL NO! Cesaro fighting back with an uppercut, tag to Sheamus, duck the Brogue Kick, tag to Jey!
Stereo kicks in the corner, superkick connects... NOT ENOUGH! TO BREAK WE GO!
Back from commercial, giant swing in progress and Cesaro locks the Sharpshooter on Jey! Uso posts to his hands and crawls, reaching the ropes! Cesaro chokes him, warned off by referee Danilo Anfibio and Sheamus gets the cheap shot in... NOPE! Tag made, giant step, drawing Jey up to jaw at him but he’s got fight left in him, hammering the Celtic Warrior with headbutts!
Fired up, to the top, cut off by a knee and Sheamus grabs a fireman’s carry, headed to the second himself only for Jey to slip out! Tag made, Cesaro dives... SUPERKICK CUTS HIM OUT OF THE SKY! Jimmy up on the apron, fired up, the way is clear, Jey crawls with desperation in his heart--
Enter Mandy Rose, wearing a towel and fluffy slippers. She asks Jimmy for help, asking if she left her tiny gold shorts and top in his hotel room. He shrugs it off like “What?!” but Sheamus is able to use the distraction to blast him off the apron, Cesaro with the Gotch lift...
The Bar win by pinfall with the Neutralizer from Cesaro on Jey Uso.
The Miz comes down and gives the Bar a big intro and congratulates them on behalf of himself and Shane McMahon. They’ve dominated all the tag teams on SmackDown... except for the Best Tag Team in the World, and he wants to offer them a chance to defend the tag titles against them.
Cesaro asks if he wants the team that’s destroyed every team on Raw and SmackDown to face an untested, uncoordinated dysfunctional duo with daddy issues? He asks Sheamus what he thinks-- BROGUE KICK! Cesaro accepts the match!
Backstage, Rose is walking with Sonya Deville and takes her towel off, revealing the gold top and shorts she mentioned. Naomi attacks, they beat her down until Jimmy makes the save!
It’s Charlotte Flair’s turn for a promo and she talks about how Carmella was last year’s hottest thing and Becky Lynch is this year’s hottest thing, but she’s been the hottest thing four years running, main evented multiple pay-per-views, and she’s not here to prove herself to anyone, but just to reclaim her title.
Their match will be after the break.
Back from commercial, Daniel Bryan is interviewed on his way out of the building.
He points out that a fat, ignorant man spilled mustard on him before shifting to AJ Styles’ “unprovoked” attack. Did he attack because Bryan is changing the world for the better, or just because he’s got the WWE Championship and he doesn’t? Dan doesn’t care why AJ attacked him, and if you think what he did tonight is vicious, it’s not have as vicious as the New Daniel Bryan!
People haven’t seen what he’s capable of, but Styles will see at the Royal Rumble, and he’ll never, ever take the WWE Championship away, because Bryan is fighting for a bigger cause than he can understand, and he’ll be champion forever.
This feeds into the video package hyping up our new arrivals from NXT, coming soon.
Miz is backstage holding his jaw when Shane McMahon rolls up and the A-Lister congratulates him on his plan to challenge their opponents working. Shane tries to explain what he meant and Miz says if they’re not testing themselves by going right after the Bar, and where would they be if they just politely waited their turn and let the opportunity pass them by!
McMahon asks if he thinks they can win, Miz says he knows they can, and they fist bump.
Becky Lynch vs. Carmella vs. Charlotte Flair (WWE SmackDown Women’s Championship #1 Contender’s Match)
Diffuse jawing to start, Lynch and Flair go for forearms at the same time and Carmella puts Charlotte into Becky! Lynch runs Mella off with a rolling solebutt and kicks the Queen out of the ring before diving off the apron with a lariat and flexing to send us to break.
Back from commercial, Lynch is in control on Carmella. Charging in, sidestepped, boot up, Flair with a shoulder thrust and a neck snap over the top rope. Headed up top, Becky cuts her off... PRESS SLAM INTO MELLA! Basement dropkick, Charlotte breaks it up and the horsewomen square up. Forearm for chop, slugging it out, Flair off the ropes but she runs right into a Lou Thesz Press!
Turning it around, mounted punches, Carmella breaks it up with a kick and reverses an exploder attempt from Lynch into a reverse STO! Flair looking for the figure four but Mella reverses to Code of Silence! Charlotte stands up in it but Carmella turns it into a victory roll for a nearfall! Becky off the top with a missile dropkick and Flair hits an exploder on her!
STO backbreaker into a big boot for Carmella! Pick the legs, stacking Lynch up next to her, climb up top but Becky recovers and jockeys for position. Boot down... MOONSAULT ON BOTH WOMEN GETS TWO AND WE GO TO BREAK!
Back from commercial and Flair and Lynch are jockeying for position in the turnbuckles when Carmella comes over and yanks Becky down! Handspring headscissors, Charlotte blocks and lifts her up but a few punches let Mella complete the avalanche Frankensteiner for a nearfall! Booting the Queen out of the ring, kicking the Man off the apron, the Princess of Staten Island comes off the ropes with a torpedo-esque suicide dive!
CHARLOTTE FLAIR MOONSAULT TO THE FLOOR BUT NOBODY’S HOME! BECKY HITS THE EXPLODER! Lynch throws Carmella into the barricade but when she gets up on the apron Flair boots her down! Schoolboy comes up empty, figure four denied, Dis-Arm-Her countered with Natural Selection, Carmella snaps off a superkick... CHARLOTTE BREAKS IT UP! Mella throwing forearms, hammering the Queen with them but she’s leveled with one even slap!
Figure four leglock applied, bridging into the Figure Eight... BECKY LYNCH OFF THE TOP WITH THE LEG DROP BUT IT’S NOT ENOUGH! RIGHT INTO DIS-ARM-HER, CHARLOTTE REACHING... CARMELLA BREAKS IT UP WITH A SUPERKICK! Drawing Flair up, throwing her to the floor! Back in, spear to Lynch, Mella superkicks her again but Becky recovers and locks Dis-Arm-Her on... IT’S OVER!
Becky Lynch wins by submission with Dis-Arm-Her to become #1 contender to the WWE SmackDown Women’s Championship.
The Man celebrates in the ring while we get replays of the match.
Asuka makes her entrance, practically ignoring Lynch while she goes through her usual ritual before turning to size her opponent up and hold the title up in her face.
That’s the show, folks.